Jet engine fuel nozzle holder and mounting



April 17, 1951 R. A. NEAg. x-:rmAL

JET ENGINE FUEL NOZZLE HOLDER AND MOUNTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed sept. '7, 1949 ik@ E Amm T79 wm 'R A, NEAL, ETAL @954mm JET ENGINE FUEL NOZZLE HOLDER AND MOUNTING Filed Sept. 7, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 47 49 5l 4 F u Ga 4Q WITNEssEs: INVENTo ATTORNEY Rs. $7/ ROBERT A NEAL /g LINN F. CUMMINGS Patented Apr. .17, 1951 JET ENGINE FUEL NOZZLE HOLDER AND MOUNTING Robert A. Neal and Linn F. Cummings, MediayA Pa., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa.,.a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 7 bustor for'metering the fuel at such points inA accordance with the control pressure. It is a fur. ther object of the present invention tofrprovde an improvedy constructionand arrangement of parts for apparatus of the type described in that application.

Another object o-f the invention is the provision' of means facilitating the mounting, in a gas turbine engine, of an individual fuel supply apparatus including a nozzle. Features of the invention include the mounting of a fuel nozzle in combination with a flexible conduit constructed and arranged for supplying fuel to the nozzle inlet, and also serving as a biasing means for maintaining the nozzle in the desired position relative to the combustor regardless of minor differences in structural dimensions cr variations due to thermal expansion of related` parts.

These and other objects are effected by our invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with f the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic elevational View of a typical gas turbine power plant equipped with fuel supply apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention and shown partly in section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail elevational View of one of the fuel supply assemblies shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective View, in

enlarged detail, showing one of the assemblies mounted on the upstream end of the combustion chamber structure of the engine shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a similar portion of the same engine.

Referring now to Fig. l of the drawings, the

,1949, serial No. 114,411 s claims.. (o1. eso-44) core structure l2 forming an annular flow com' munication generally indicated at i3, which eX- tends longitudinally through the engine from a frontal air intake duct I4 to a rearwardly disposed discharge nozzle I5. The operating elements of theengine are disposed in axial alignment within the casing structure and include,A an axial flow compressor Il, fuel supply assemblies I8, annular combustion apparatus I9, and a turbine 26, the rotor of which is connected tothe rotor of the compressor through the medium of a shaft 2 I, which is journaled in suitable bearings (notshown) mounted inthe core structure I'2. The general principles of operation of such la power plant are well known, and may briefly be summarized as follows: air entering vthe intake duct Iii is compressed by the compressor I'I, from which it is delivered to the combustion apparatus IS for supporting combustion of fuel supplied thereto by way of the fuel supply assemblies I8, and the hot motive gases thus provided are then expanded through the turbine 20 and finally discharged to atmosphere by way of the nozzle I5,

establishing a propulsive thrust.

The fuel supply assemblies I8 are circumferentially spaced upstream of the combustion apparatus I9, and each assembly comprises .a variableflow fuel nozzle 26, a spring conduit 2l and an equalizing valve device 28, as shown in Fig. 2;

-. Referring to Fig. 4i, the forward or upstream end of the combustion apparatus I9 includes an annular end wall 3Q, which joins the apertured cylin- `drical burner walls 3| and V32 and is provided typical gas turbine engine illustrated therein comprises an outer substantially cylindrical casing structure Il having mounted therein a sectional with a fuel entryway 33 for each fuel supply assembly i8. The entryways 33 may be formed in an inner bafe 34 carried within a recessed portion 30a of the end wall 3Q, in which sockets or apertures 35 are formed for receiving the tips of the nozzles 28. A hollow annular fairing structure 3l is provided in the passage AI3 for enclosing the nozzles 26, and is supported on a plurality of radially disposed hollow struts 3S, the outer ends of which extend through suitable apertures in the casing I! and carry outer bolting flanges 38. Each of the nozzles 23 is removably cradled inV one of a pluraltiy `of bracket structures 4I having suitable flanges Welded to the rear wall of the fairing structure 3l. As best shown. in Fig. 3, the bracket structure includes a Wall r42 having an arcuate recess or socket 43 for receiving the closed end of the nozzle 26, while the discharge end thereof is supported in the aperture 35.

Each equalizing valve device 28 may be of a suitable construction operative in the manner disclosed in the foregoing copending application, and as illustrated in Fig. 4 includes a casing having a bolting flange 45 adapted to be secured by bolts 45 to the flange 39. Mounted in a valve chamber 41 formed in the casing of the device 28 is a valve 48, which controls flow of fuel from an inlet 49 to an outlet 50 under control of a diaphragm l that is subject to the opposing p ressures of fuel in the valve chamber and in a control pressure chamber 52. The outlet 50 communicates by way of the conduit 21 with an inlet 53 of the nozzle 26, from the outlet orifice 54 of which fuel is discharged through the entryway 3.3 into the combustion chamber' of the apparatus I9. Further operational details of the fuel system are more fully described in the copending -application already identified.

According to the present invention, each conduit 21 is `iormed of metal having pronounced spring characteristics, and is provided with a looped-portion 56 intermediate. the endsy thereof, which portion is disposed within the associated hollow strut 38 and parallel to a radial plane relative to the engine. The inner end of the conduit 21 is secured to a headed sleeve element 51 which is received in the inlet 53 and held in place by means of a sleeve nut 58 having screw-threaded engagement .in the casing of the nozzle 26. The outer end of the conduit 21 carries a sleeve element 59 having a head 60 which is engaged by a sleeve nut 6l mounted in adjustable relation within an outer sleeve nut 62, which is in turn secured in screw-threaded engagement in the 'outlet 58 of the valve device 2B. The tensionor spring effect of the exible conduit 21 can thus be varied From the foregoing, it will be apparent that each fuel supply assembly I8, comprising the nozzle 26, conduit 21 and equalizing'valve device 28, may readily be installed as a. unit in the power plant, by inserting the nozzle through the strut 38 and into cradled engagement with the Abracket structure IH, whereupon the flange 44 may be brought into abutting relation with the flange 39 and bolted thereto, the yieldable coiled conduit 21 being at the Sametime placed under sufficient tension to maintain the nozzle iirmly in place without necessitating the use of individual securing means therefor. This feature of the invention facilitates use of an economical and minimum weight construction involving relatively wide tolerances, whereby slight variations in assembly dimensions can be compensated by deection of the coiled conduit.

While we have shown the invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so'limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What we claim is:

l. Combustion apparatus comprising a fuel nozzle, combustion chamber means having a socket for receiving said nozzle, a fue] metering valve device spaced from said chamber, and a flexible conduit interposed in strain relation between said valve device and said nozzle for urging the latter into engagement with the'socket of said combustion chamber.

2. Combustion apparatus comprising a combustion chamber having an upstream entryway, a fuel nozzle having a tip engageable therewith, a fuel source including wall structure supported in spaced relation with respect to said combustion chamber, and a flexible conduit for maintaining communication between said fuel source and said nozzle, said conduit having a looped spring por tion serving to apply a biasing force to said nozzle yieldingly resisting displacement thereof from said entryway.

3. Combustion apparatus for a gas turbine power plant comprising generally cylindrical casing structure having an annular air flow passage formed therein, annular combustion chamber means supported in said passage and having a .plurality of fuel entryways formed in the upstream end thereof, annular fairing structure including nozzle brackets disposed adjacent and upstream of the respective fuel entryways in the combustion chamber, a plurality of radially arranged hollow struts aligned with said brackets for supporting said fairing structure from said casing structure, fuel supply means carried outwardly of said struts, a plurality of fuel nozzles removably disposed in engagement with said brackets and in registration with said fuel entryways, respectively, and an equal number of flexible conduits extending through said struts for supplying fuel from said supply means to each of said nozzles, each of said conduits having a spring loop portion disposed within the related strut for establishing .biasing force urging the associated nozzle rmly in position relative to the bracket and combustion chamber means.

` ROBERT A. NEAL.

LINN F. CUMMINGS.

No references cited. 

